Pilfer proof cap for aerosol containers



July 16, 1963 l. J. GERSHEN ETAL 3,097,758

PILFER PROOF CAP FOR AEROSOL CONTAINERS Filed July 21, 1961 FIG. 2

FIG.

FIG. 3

FIG. 4

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6 EU F ATTORNEY 3,097,758 PILFER PROOF CAP FOR AEROSOL CONTAINERS Irvin J. Gershen, Springfield, NJ. Gershen Industrial Design, 1877 Springfield Ave., Maplewood, N.J.), and Arthur L. Krebs, Gershen Industrial Design, 33

Brown Terrace, Cranford, NJ.

Filed July 21, 1961, Ser. No. 126,813 2 Claims. (Cl. 220-27) This invention relates to a pilfer proof cap for containers of aerosol type, used for dispensing of various commodities. One of the disadvantages in use of such containers was the absence of indication of any use, pilferage, or sampling of the contents of such containers.

In addition to safeguarding the initial purchaser, it is desirable to safeguard the manufacturer from claims Where, for example, a purchaser uses part of the contents of the container and then returns the same for refund as an allegedly unused article.

Pursuant to this invention, a pilfer proof cap is provided, so constructed that, after application of the cap to the container in the original manufacture and assembly the first removal of the cap Will be clearly marked; thus pilfering will be readily discernible; at the same time the cap is so further designed that it may be used as frequently as desired to cover the container after initial removal of the cap.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical, sectional view of a cap embodying the invention, showing in dotted lines, a container to which the same is secured,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, elevational view thereof, taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view thereof taken at line 33 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view thereof as initially separated from the container bead 14-, the latter being indicated fragmentarily, a protuberance 19 formed on the cap being shown separated therefrom by such initial separation of the cap from the container bead 14,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional View, taken on line 55 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fnagmentary sectional view of the throat portion of a cap of a modified form of the invention.

As shown in the drawings, the cap 10 of the invention is formed with a hollow hub or cup shaped body portion 11 of smaller diameter 12 (FIG. 1) than the diameter 13 of the marginal bead 14 of the aerosol container 15 whose discharge end 16 enclosed within and sealed and made pilfer proof by the cap of this invention. An L-shaped throat portion 17 extends from the hub or cup-shaped portion 11 of the cap, and is provided with a plurality of cut-out portions 18, extending from the protuberances 19 to substantially the end 2 1 (FIG. 5) of the cup shape port-ion 11 of smaller diameter of the cap. Protuberances 19 may be widened (FIG. 4) outwardly of the throat 17 and may be weakened at the point 23 (FIG. 6) of connection therewith. The cap may be formed of any suitable plastic, elastomeric or other material suited for the purpose, the disclosure herein being sufficient to enable those skilled in this art to readily make and use such caps in accordance with the invent-ion.

Protuberances 19 are formed marginally in the throat ted States Patent portion and extend inwardly thereof and in alignment with said apertures 18 (FIGS. 2 and 3). Said apertures thus weaken the connection between the protuberances and the throat portion 17 of the cap. The parts are so proportioned (along the lines shown in the drawing) that the protuberances will engage the underside of the marginal bead 14 of the aerosol container on assembly thereon after manufacture and filling of the latter while the L-shaped throat portion 17 of the cap marginally engages the top of said bead (FIG. 1).

On the first removal of the cap 10 from the container the protuberances 19 will break (FIG. 4) and separate from the cap, indicating that the discharge end 16 of the container has been made accessible for actuation and discharge of contents of container 15 at least once. The throat portion 17 of the cap snugly engages head 14 to thus be reusable after breaking of the protuberances 19 from the cap; the cap thus continues to serve as a telescoping oovering for the discharge end of the container thereafter. These protuberances may be widened as at 22 (FIG. 4) if desired and may be upwardly inwardly tapered.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the invention prov-ides a pilfer proof cap for aeorsol containers which is efiicient and positive in operation and that the cap clearly signals and denotes (FIG. 4) on the breaking of a protuberance, that pilfering has occurred.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A pilfer proof cap for engagement with a marginal bead defining the discharge end of an aerosol container, for sealing said container end, said cap comprising a hollow, cup-shaped body portion of small diameter than said bead, an L-slraped throat portion extending from the end of the cup-shaped portion and of greater diameter than and telescoping over said head portion, said throat portion being provided with a plurality of apertures extending marginally inwardly of the throat portion, and a plurality of protuberances on the throat portion in line with said apertures and located immediately therebelow proportioned to engage the underside of said marginal bead of the aerosol container while the L-shaped throat portion of the cap engages the top of said bead, said apertures thus weakening the point of connection between the protuberances and the throat portion of the cap, said protuberances having a tapered inner surface extending downwardly and outwardly to facilitate engagement with said marginal head so that, on assembly of the cap onto the aerosol container, said protuberances will snap over and engage the marginal underside of the aerosol container bead and on first removal of the cap therefrom, the protuberances will break off, said apertures providing immediate inspection for the presence of said protuberances to indicate lack of previous use.

2. In a snap-action cap as set forth in claim 1, said apertures extending substantially from said protuberances, to the end of the cup-shaped portion of the cap of smaller diameter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,470,057 Spender May 10, 1949 2,765,960 Softer Oct. 9, 1956 3,028,992 'Bucher Apr. 10, 1962 

1. A PILFER PROOF CAP FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A MARGINAL BEAD DEFINING THE DISCHARGE END OF AN AEROSOL CONTAINER, FOR SEALING SAID CONTAINER END, SAID CAP COMPRISING A HOLLOW, CUP-SHAPED BODY PORTION OF SMALL DIAMETER THAN SAID BEAD, IN L-SHAPED THROAT PORTION EXTENDING FROM THE END OF THE CUP-SHAPED PORTION AND OF GREATER DIAMETER THAN AND TELESCOPING OVER SAID BEAD PORTION, SAID THROAT PORTION BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF APERTURES EXTENDING MARGINALLY INWARDLY OF THE THROAT PORTION, AND A PLURALITY OF PROTUBERANCES ON THE THROAT PORTION IN LINEE WITH SAID APERTURES AND LOCATED IMMEDIATELY THEREBELOW PROPORTIONED TO ENGAGE THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID MARGINAL BEAD OF THE AEROSOL CONTAINER WHILE THE L-SHAPED THROAT PORTION OF THE CAP ENGAGES THE TOP OF SAID BEAD, SAID APERTURES THUS WEAKENING THE POINT OF CONNECTION BETWEEN THE PROTUBERANCES AND THE THROAT PORTION OF THE CAP, SAID PROTUBERANCES HAVING A TAPERED INNER SURFACE EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY TO FACILITATE ENGEGAGEMENT WITH SAID MARGINAL BEAD SO THAT, ON ASSEMBLY OF THE CAP ONTO THE AEROSOL CONTAINER, SAID PROTUBERANCES WILL SNAP OVER AND ENGAGE THE MARGINAL UNDERSIDE OF THE AEROSOL CONTAINER BEAD AND ON FIRST REMOVAL OF THE CAP THEREFROM, THE PROTUBERANCES WILL BREAK OFF, SAID APERTURES PROVIDING IMMEDIATE INSPECTION FOR THE PRESENCE OF SAID PROTUBERANCES TO INDICATE LACK OF PREVIOUS USE. 